Liquid drop discharger, test chip processor, printer device, method of discharging liquid drop and printing method, method of processing test chip, method of producing organic electroluminescent panel, method of forming conductive pattern, and method of producing field emission display

Abstract

A liquid drop discharger includes a coil for generating a magnetic field based on an electric current that is applied; a moving section, removably disposed with respect to the coil so as to be movable in a central axial direction of the coil, for generating an induced current by the magnetic field generated by the coil; device for vertically applying a magnetic field to a peripheral surface of a peripheral member, where the induced current is generated, of the moving section; and a discharge opening, which moves together with the moving section, for discharging a liquid by changing the volume of a liquid chamber containing the liquid as a result of the movement of the moving section.

1. A liquid drop discharger comprising:
 a coil for generating a magnetic field based on an electric current that is applied; 
 a moving section, removably disposed with respect to the coil so as to be movable in a central axial direction of the coil, for generating an induced current around the moving section by the magnetic field generated by the coil; 
 means for vertically applying a magnetic field to a peripheral surface of a peripheral member of the moving section; and 
 a discharge opening, which moves together with the moving section, for discharging a liquid by changing the volume of a liquid chamber containing the liquid as a result of the movement of the moving section. 
 
     
     
       2. A liquid drop discharger according to  claim 1 , wherein the coil has two concentric coiled portions of different winding diameters, the winding directions of the coiled portions being the same. 
     
     
       3. A liquid drop discharger according to  claim 1 , wherein the moving section is removably disposed with respect to a flow path defining a portion of the liquid chamber containing the liquid. 
     
     
       4. A liquid drop discharger according to  claim 1 , wherein the flow path, which defines a portion of the liquid chamber, is removable from the coil and the magnetic field applying means. 
     
     
       5. A liquid drop discharger according to  claim 1 , wherein the moving section comprises a guide for allowing the movement of the moving section with respect to the flow path defining a portion of the liquid chamber containing the liquid. 
     
     
       6. A liquid drop discharger according to  claim 1 , wherein the moving section discharges the liquid by reciprocating between a predetermined reference position and a contraction position situated in a direction in which the volume of the liquid chamber is reduced from the reference position. 
     
     
       7. A liquid drop discharger according to  claim 1 , wherein the moving section discharges the liquid by reciprocating between a predetermined reference position and an expansion position situated in a direction in which the volume of the liquid chamber is increased from the reference position. 
     
     
       8. A liquid drop discharger according to  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field applying means is an annular magnetic circuit having a gap in a portion thereof and being disposed so that the magnetic field is applied to the peripheral member with the coil and the peripheral member being disposed in the gap. 
     
     
       9. A liquid drop discharger according to  claim 1 , wherein the moving section has a plurality of the discharge openings for discharging liquid drops by the movement of the moving section. 
     
     
       10. A liquid drop discharger according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of liquid drop discharge head sections each comprising at least the coil and the moving section. 
     
     
       11. A liquid drop discharger according to  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of the liquid chambers, wherein the same liquid or different liquids are supplied to the liquid chambers. 
     
     
       12. A liquid drop discharger according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid from the discharge opening is any one of ink, a liquid containing a biological substance, a liquid containing an organic electroluminescent material, a liquid containing fine metallic particles, and a liquid dispersedly mixed with carbon nanotube. 
     
     
       13. A method of discharging a liquid drop, comprising the steps of:
 applying a magnetic field vertically to a peripheral surface of a peripheral member of a moving section removably disposed with respect to a coil so as to be movable in a central axial direction of the coil; 
 generating a magnetic field by applying a predetermined electric current to the coil; 
 generating an induced current around the peripheral member by applying the magnetic field generated by the coil to the peripheral member; 
 moving the moving section by an electromagnetic force based on the applied magnetic field and the generated induced current; and 
 discharging a liquid from a discharge opening by changing the volume of a liquid chamber containing the liquid by moving the moving section. 
 
     
     
       14. A method of discharging a liquid drop according to  claim 13 , wherein the liquid is discharged by moving the moving section so that the volume of the liquid chamber is reduced. 
     
     
       15. A method of discharging a liquid drop according to  claim 13 , wherein the liquid is discharged by moving the moving section so that the volume of the liquid chamber is increased. 
     
     
       16. A method of discharging a liquid drop according to  claim 13 , wherein the moving section has a plurality of the discharge openings for discharging a plurality of the liquid drops by moving the removing section. 
     
     
       17. A method of discharging a liquid drop according to  claim 13 , wherein the same liquid or different liquids are supplied to a plurality of the liquid chambers in order to discharge a plurality of the liquid drops at the same time. 
     
     
       18. A method of discharging a liquid drop according to  claim 13 , wherein the liquid to be discharged is any one of ink, a liquid containing a biological substance, a liquid containing an organic electroluminescent material, a liquid containing fine metallic particles, and a liquid dispersedly mixed with carbon nanotube. 
     
     
       19. A test chip processor comprising:
 a chip drive section for holding a test chip and moving the test chip under a predetermined condition; 
 a liquid drop discharge head section for discharging a liquid to be tested dropwise onto predetermined locations of the test chip; and 
 a sensor for performing testing by irradiating the predetermined locations of the test chip with light, 
 wherein the liquid drop discharge head section comprises: 
 a coil for generating a magnetic field based on an electric current that Is applied; 
 a moving section, removably disposed with respect to the coil so as to be movable in a central axial direction of the coil, for generating an induced current around the moving section by the magnetic field generated by the coil; 
 means for vertically applying a magnetic field to a peripheral surface of a peripheral member of the moving section; and 
 a discharge opening, which moves together with the moving section, for discharging the liquid by changing the volume of a liquid chamber containing the liquid as a result of the movement of the moving section. 
 
     
     
       20. A test chip processor according to  claim 19 , wherein the test chip is a DNA chip having probe DNAs disposed in a predetermined arrangement, wherein the predetermined locations of the test chip correspond to the locations of the probe DNAs on the DNA chip, and wherein a state of a bonding reaction of a nucleic acid to be tested in the probe DNA is tested. 
     
     
       21. A test chip processor according to  claim 19 , wherein the test chip is a test disc, and wherein the chip drive section holds the test disc and rotates the test disc under the desired condition. 
     
     
       22. A method of processing a test chip, comprising the step of:
 performing testing by discharging a liquid to be tested dropwise onto a predetermined location of the test chip and irradiating with light the predetermined location, 
 wherein the dropwise discharge of the liquid comprises the steps of: 
 applying a magnetic field vertically to a peripheral surface of a peripheral member of a moving section removably disposed with respect to a coil so as to be movable in a central axial direction of the coil; 
 generating a magnetic field by applying a predetermined electric current to the coil; 
 generating an induced current around the peripheral member by applying the magnetic field generated by the coil to the peripheral member; 
 moving the moving section by an electromagnetic force based on the applied magnetic field and the generated induced current; and 
 discharging the liquid from a discharge opening by changing the volume of a liquid chamber containing the liquid by moving the moving section. 
 
     
     
       23. A printer device comprising:
 an ink discharge head comprising: 
 a coil for generating a magnetic field based on an electric current that is applied; 
 a moving section, removably disposed with respect to the coil so as to be movable in a central axial direction of the coil, for generating an induced current around the moving section by the magnetic field generated by the coil; 
 means for vertically applying a magnetic field to a peripheral surface of a peripheral member of the moving section; and 
 a discharge opening, which moves together with the moving section, for discharging ink by changing the volume of a liquid chamber containing the ink as a result of the movement of the moving section. 
 
     
     
       24. A printing method comprising the steps of:
 applying a magnetic field vertically to a peripheral surface of a peripheral member of a moving section removably disposed with respect to a coil so as to be movable in a central axial direction of the coil; 
 generating a magnetic field by applying a predetermined electric current to the coil; 
 generating an induced current around the peripheral member by applying the magnetic field generated by the coil to the peripheral member; 
 moving the moving section by an electromagnetic force based on the applied magnetic field and the generated induced current; and 
 discharging ink from a discharge opening by changing the volume of a liquid chamber containing the ink by moving the moving section, so that a desired printing operation is performed. 
 
     
     
       25. A method of producing an organic electroluminescent panel comprising a light-emitting layer on a substrate, the method comprising the step of:
 forming the light-emitting layer by discharging a liquid containing a light-emitting material dropwise onto and applying the liquid to a predetermined location by a liquid discharge head, 
 wherein the dropwise discharge of the liquid by the liquid discharge head comprises the steps of: 
 applying a magnetic field vertically to a peripheral surface of a peripheral member of a moving section removably disposed with respect to a coil so as to be movable in a central axial direction of the coil; 
 generating a magnetic field by applying a predetermined electric current to the coil; 
 generating an induced current around the peripheral member by applying the magnetic field generated by the coil to the peripheral member; 
 moving the moving section by an electromagnetic force based on the applied magnetic field and the generated induced current; and 
 discharging the liquid from a discharge opening by changing the volume of a liquid chamber containing the liquid by moving the moving section. 
 
     
     
       26. A method of forming a conductive pattern, comprising the steps of:
 applying a magnetic field vertically to a peripheral surface of a peripheral member of a moving section removably disposed with respect to a coil so as to be movable in a central axial direction of the coil; 
 generating a magnetic field by applying a predetermined electric current to the coil; 
 generating an induced current around the peripheral member by applying the magnetic field generated by the coil to the peripheral member; 
 moving the moving section by an electromagnetic force based on the applied magnetic field and the generated induced current; and 
 discharging a liquid containing fine conductive particles from a discharge opening by changing the volume of a liquid chamber containing the liquid by moving the moving section, so that a desired conductive pattern is formed on a substrate. 
 
     
     
       27. A method of producing a field emission display, comprising the step of:
 forming a field emission cathode by successively discharging dropwise a liquid dispersedly mixed with a carbon nanotube onto and applying the liquid to a predetermined location by a liquid discharge head, 
 wherein the dropwise discharge of the liquid by the liquid discharge head comprises the steps of: 
 applying a magnetic field vertically to a peripheral surface of a peripheral member of a moving section removably disposed with respect to a coil so as to be movable in a central axial direction of the coil; 
 generating a magnetic field by applying a predetermined electric current to the coil; 
 generating an induced current around the peripheral member by applying the magnetic field generated by the coil to the peripheral member; 
 moving the moving section by an electromagnetic force based on the applied magnetic field and the generated induced current; and 
 discharging the liquid from a discharge opening by changing the volume of a liquid chamber containing the liquid by moving the moving section.